Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Full of Eastern promise...

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You'll struggle to believe me if you haven't yet played this wondrous adventure on one of its many platforms of choice, but for all its evolving narrative, twisting stories, rich and immersive environments and complex combat - the Prince's heart is still very much in the platform genre. That said, The Sands of Time draws deviously on the series' retro-roots, and on Ubisoft Montreal's design expertise - to create a game that blends the best of old and new in a heavenly stew that is quite simply one of the most innovative and well-made 'platformers' in a very long time. Even PC gamers, who's tastes have for so long been regarded as more 'discerning', will find it hard not to fall for this little beauty, which defies the constraints of genre definition so expertly.

Right from the outset, you'll instantly begin to realise that this is a game worth paying attention to as the beautifully rendered cut-scene begins to immerse you in the plot and atmosphere so crucial to this mystical adventure, which begins in India at the conquered Maharajas Palace, where the Prince of Persia seeks the Dagger of Time - and the glory - of this ancient and powerful artefact, all whilst Daddy's army wages war with the remaining soldiers left defending the Palace.

Once you've got this nice little trinket, things will begin to get really interesting, low and behold, time is yours to harness - allowing you to pause and rewind events - shifting the world to your own ends. It's a good job you're a nice bloke, really. However, the real benefit of this ancient power bestowed upon you is what makes The Sands of Time a real deviation from the norm - no more frustrating deaths! Quite simply, that shiny dagger means that you won't have to re-start every time you make a mess of a crucial jump, nor start again after some terribly unfair brush with an enemy you couldn't see. The ability to rewind time, then, effectively removes the most annoying aspect of this venerable genre, whilst at the same time keeping things challenging. A master stroke.

Not that you'll necessarily be needing the old Dagger all the time, as the control system for movement is among the best I've ever had the pleasure to play with - indeed, within a couple of hours of beginning the game I was merrily bouncing all over the environments - swinging, edging, leaping, running along walls, jumping off walls, etcetera etcetera, its all very fun and very dynamic -the Prince's athleticism also helping reduce the flagrant limitations which have spoiled many a platform-style title in the past.

Fortunately, Ubisoft's animation and graphics technology more than keeps pace with the Prince's fluid movements bringing his seamless progress to vivid life in highly convincing detail - which is complemented perfectly by the gloriously rich environs of the developers imaginings. It really is quite a sight to behold, from Palaces to Temples and many other sumptuous locales which can't fail but to engross you in this expertly visualised take on the Medieval East. The attention to detail is particularly worthy of note - right from the fluttering curtains, to the water and mist effects, not to mention the movement of clothing and the intricate touches in the incidental aspects of the Prince's surroundings. Outstanding.

Our tale's heroin, the dead Maharajas daughter Farah, is also well realised thanks to the cut-scenes that play out her bizarre and shifting relationship with the Prince, and the sophistications of the story are well exemplified by the ambiguities of this dynamic - as the unlikely duo progress through the game.

Is this game perfect then? Well no of course not, after all, I'd be out of a job if that was the case, though I have to say in the grand scheme of things my minor gripes are pretty niggling - and certainly aren't particularly detrimental to the overall appeal of the game.

As with most third-person titles, the camera angle is not without its faults occasionally becoming lodged in or behind scenery; sometimes shifting at an inopportune moment and disorientating the player - but overall it never makes the game unplayable - like some titles I might mention. Whilst the variety of combat moves at the spinning-slicing-cutting-kicking-punching Prince's disposal is excellent, and very cinematic indeed, his foes abilities are not quite as challenging, the AI proving linear and even some of the boss-battles weren't quite as epic as I'd hoped. Once again though this is a minor chip in an otherwise smooth veneer.

This PC version isn't a great deal more attractive than the PS2 version - though the resolution is sharper and the audio options include 5.1 Surround - both of which help further immerse the player into the Prince's fascinating world. Indeed, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a rare beauty, and a testament to the ingenuity and attention to detail the developers have clearly lavished on the game. Seemingly disparate gameplay elements are blended seamlessly, without interrupting the flow of the game - from voice-overs, cut-scenes, save-points, puzzles, combat, health-regeneration, epic plotline and premise - all work together without jarring or distracting.

A wee recommendation as we draw to a close might be that to use a Joypad would be best, as the keyboard commands can take a little while to remember and The Sands of Time has clearly been designed with consoles in mind; also, it can be a tad short for some tastes, lasting just under ten hours at my best estimate, though once again this is not something which bothered me because the diversity and quality of gameplay was wonderfully meaty, and will certainly give creators of similar titles much food for thought.

The best of Ubi's Christmas releases? I'd say so, and certainly one the best games I've played for a long time - so what are you waiting for? Go and buy it now so you can get in practice for the sequel, which I await with baited-breath.

All in all, then, the Prince's glorious return earns this title a right royal,

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By Luke Guttridge